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10 Reasons the 2019 Honda Accord Won the AutoWeb Buyer’s Choice Best Car of the Year Award

10 Reasons the 2019 Honda Accord Won the AutoWeb Buyer’s Choice Best Car of the Year Award

Photo Credit: Honda

January 7, 2019
By Brady Holt

As more car buyers defect to crossovers and SUVs, it’s become popular to say that cars are dying. Even some automakers turned the words into actions — Chrysler, Ford, and Mitsubishi have abandoned segments that once were seen as critical, and General Motors is preparing to follow suit. But crossovers tend to be more expensive and less fuel-efficient than similarly spacious sedans and hatchbacks, and their higher center of gravity means they typically won’t handle with the same confident agility as a good car.

Given those factors, plenty of AutoWeb shoppers still eagerly are getting price quotes for the cars that remain. And topping their list is the 2019 Honda Accord midsize sedan, a perennial favorite that was fully overhauled a year ago. Their interest wins the Accord the AutoWeb Buyer’s Choice Best Car of the Year Award. Here are 10 reasons that so many buyers are still enthusiastic about this outstanding car.

10) You don’t have to pay a lot for one.

Anyone can lust after an amazing luxury car, but when it comes time to buy, affordability is key. The Accord delivers generous standard equipment on the base LX model, which costs just $23,720. This base Accord includes 17-inch alloy wheels, automatic climate control, keyless entry with push-button start, and the Honda Sensing suite of advanced safety features.

Even the top-of-the-line $34,990 Touring model is a pretty good deal considering all the equipment it provides — including high-end luxury features such as a head-up display, adaptive suspension dampers, heated rear seats, and rain-sensing windshield wipers. If you don’t need all those goodies, you still can get a great Accord for well under $30,000.

9) It doesn't feel like a cheap car.

The Accord is a budget-friendly sedan that doesn’t make you feel like you pinched pennies. It gives you a stylish, modern, high-quality interior; a pleasant, refined driving experience; plenty of space to stretch out; and ample safety measures to protect you and your passengers.

Choose one of the top trims, in fact, and the Accord delivers the polished feel and generous feature content of a premium-branded model — only for many thousands of dollars less. And there’s enough standard equipment on the base model that even an inexpensive Accord doesn’t scream “cheap.” The standard 17-inch alloy wheels also mean your neighbors don’t have to know how little you paid.

8) The infotainment system is comprehensive and easy to use.

Nearly every Accord includes an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system that supports Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone integration. The HondaLink mobile app also lets you remotely lock or unlock the car, or even start the engine, using your phone. Bluetooth wireless connectivity comes standard, and the Touring model even lets you sync compatible smartphones in an instant using near-field communications (NFC) technology.

What’s more, the Accord’s controls all are user-friendly and easy to operate. That’s no small task on a car with so many functions, but Honda pulled it off with a mix of well-placed, well-executed buttons, knobs, and touchscreen commands.

7) Advanced crash-avoidance features come standard.

Every Honda model now is available with the brand’s “Honda Sensing” suite of driver-assistance technology: a forward collision warning with autonomous emergency braking, a lane-departure warning with lane-keeping steering assistance, adaptive cruise control, traffic-sign recognition capability, and a road-departure mitigation system. But while some Hondas charge extra for these features, they’re standard equipment on every Accord.

Furthering the Accord’s safety credentials, it’s an Insurance Institute for Highway Safety “Top Safety Pick.” Even more impressive, it not only received a top five-star score from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, but it also earned the maximum five stars in every individual crash-test evaluation.

6) There’s now a fuel-saving hybrid model.

Honda launched most of the redesigned 2018 Accord lineup in fall 2017, but it took a little longer to introduce the gas-electric Accord Hybrid. On sale since March 2018, the Accord Hybrid boasts a phenomenal EPA rating of 48 miles per gallon (the same figure for city and highway conditions).

The hybrid costs $1,600 more than the Accord’s base gasoline engine, but it easily could pay for itself depending on how much you drive — especially if you rack up a lot of stop-and-go miles, where the hybrid has the greatest advantage over gas-only Accords.

5) Every Accord gets great gas mileage.

Even if you skip the upfront expense of the Accord Hybrid, you still get great fuel economy in any Accord model. Besides the gas-electric hybrid, there are two four-cylinder turbocharged engines: a base 1.5-liter, and an uplevel 2.0-liter offered on certain trims.

The more popular 1.5-liter has 192 hp and EPA ratings of 30 miles per gallon in the city, 38 mpg on the highway, and 33 mpg overall on most trims — better than many compact economy cars. The 2.0-liter slips to 27 mpg overall, but that’s still quite good for a midsize car with 252 hp, and it accepts affordable regular-grade fuel.

4) It’s sporty and fun to drive.

Some folks think of the Honda Accord as a generic, boring family car. A few Accord generations have fit that idea, but most — including the current model — bring extra zest to the class. Alert, responsive steering and a capable chassis make the car eager to tackle a winding road. Both available engines are peppy, and the 2.0-liter punches above its specs to deliver a downright electrifying driving experience for a midsize sedan.

You even can get a six-speed manual transmission on the Accord’s aptly named Sport trim. Fewer and fewer buyers prefer the engagement of shifting their own gears, but the Accord Sport offers a lifeline for such enthusiasts.

3) It has tons of space inside.

Some sporty sedans sacrifice interior space while pursuing performance and style. Not the Accord. It not only has lively driving dynamics and a sleek, head-turning roofline, but it’s also one of the roomiest sedans out there. Four adults have plenty of room to spread out, and even a fifth won’t feel overly pinched. There are available heated front and rear seats, and cooled front seats, for extra comfort. There’s impressive trunk space, too — an outstanding 16.7 cubic feet.

Note that you’ll sit lower in the Accord than in some competing sedans. But then again, that closer connection to the road is part of why many folks are still looking at cars instead of SUVs. The Accord’s generous interior space also means you don’t need to pay extra for a full-size sedan.

2) There’s a wide range of models and prices.

The Accord lineup includes three engines: the budget-minded 1.5-liter, the higher-performance 2.0-liter, and the extra-thrifty hybrid. There also are five trim levels, spanning in price from $23,720 to $34,990. Each provides significant value for the money, while the Sport adds extra performance (including the available manual transmission) and the Touring basically is a luxury sports sedan wearing a Honda badge.

The Accord’s value quotient gets a further boost from Honda’s excellent resale value. When you’re ready to trade in or sell your Accord, it still will be worth a decent fraction of what you paid for it.

1) It exemplifies what people like about cars.

Today’s crossover suvs are increasingly competitive with cars for their driving experience, fuel economy, and value. But a good car still can trump the best crossover in those categories — and the 2019 Honda Accord is a fantastic car. It’s fun to drive, with responsive steering and a low center of gravity. It gets up to 33 mpg with its gasoline engine and 48 mpg as a hybrid. It’s well-equipped for less than $25,000, and superbly equipped for less than $35,000.

In short, the Accord exemplifies what people like about cars. It drives the way an SUV can’t, and for less money. Throw in the extra-spacious interior, the fuel-sipping powertrains, and the sleek silhouette that no SUV could pull off, and it’s no wonder that AutoWeb shoppers are so interested.